Lakes and Hammocks, My Secret Spot in New Hampshire

As bloggers, we often face a struggle of "how much is too much" to share.  This can be on a personal level (how much of a personal life do I chose to share?) or on a destination information level (should I keep this spot a secret?).  If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably know my feelings on the first front -  I work hard to keep my private life just that... private.  But on the second level, I have struggled.  I want to share all the amazing places I go with you all, giving you the information you need to find and enjoy these places too.  But at the same time, it is nice to have those secret not-so-well-known spots. 

I have less qualms about sharing the more popular places like Franconia Notch or trips to National Parks.  But those secret-shared-by-the-local spots, I have that internal struggle.. do I share or do I keep it to myself?  What kind of duty do I have to share these places, and what kind of duty do I have to keep them to myself, to the few people who know about them and enjoy them?  Because let's be honest, when a place gets popular, it can be tougher to find solitude and enjoy it.  So we try to keep a few places to ourselves.  I went back and forth on this amazing little site and at the end of the day decided I would share a little.  

If you read Monday's post on Schilling Beer Co., you will know that after a great day of hiking, I headed to Schilling to try the local beer and see the brewery.  While there enjoying a cold beer with Olive my lab mix napping in the shade, I talked to a couple about various spots to take Olive swimming and enjoy a lazy Sunday the following day.  They suggested a place off the beaten path, not well known to many that I could tie up a hammock, spend the day, and let Olive swim.   They really delivered when they sent me to this beautiful lake on my way home in New Hampshire.  

We pulled into the parking lot and loaded into my bag what I would need for a day on the lake.  Snacks, supplies for lunch, the hammock, chairs, the dogs bowl, a few adult beverages, a good book, and my sunglasses.  It was about a half mile walk/hike in from the parking lot to the first beach where we set up shop.  We got there early, around 9:45 am and had the place to ourselves.  I set up my hammock (a day after National Hammock Day), grabbed my book and enjoyed a peaceful morning on the lake.  Olive bopped in and out of the water, and napped in her newly dug hole and enjoyed the day.  

After some swinging, napping and reading, I took Olive for a walk around the park.  We checked out the amazing camp sites and automatically started to plan another trip back to camp and relax on the lake. I was so happy to find such a beautiful spot to unwind, a spot where Olive could swing and I could find some solitude after spending the previous day on a very busy trail, and a very busy campground.  Warm water to swim, a small beach to relax on, and the view of amazing mountains extending out across the lake.  I hope you don't mind me keeping the details secret, but can enjoy some teasingly beautifully relaxing photos of just how lovely New Hampshire can be.  I hope you find your special spots too and can keep them a secret. 

Happy Lounging,
Katie